Google Maps Adopts Libyan Rebels' Name for Martyrs' Square

The Libyan rebel movement, which last night succeeded in taking control of much of Tripoli from the country’s former dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi, has already received support from the U.S., its NATO allies, and other nations worldwide. And now the rebels can boast one more stamp of approval: Google.

After taking over Tripoli’s Green Square late last night, the rebels declared that it would now be called Martyrs' Square, its pre-Qaddafi title. Google Maps quickly affirmed the rebels’ statement by changing the name Green Square to Martyrs' Square on its map of Tripoli.

“Sometimes the world map being redrawn before your very eyes is a metaphor for something intangible—political alliances, shifting attitudes, societal norms, etc.,” wrote Vanessa Silverton-Peel on the Maddow Blog. “But this time, it's the actual map that's changing. Fast.”

The Libyan rebel movement, which last night succeeded in taking control of much of Tripoli from the country’s former dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi, has already received support from the U.S., its NATO allies, and other nations worldwide. And now the rebels can boast one more stamp of approval: Google.

After taking over Tripoli’s Green Square late last night, the rebels declared that it would now be called Martyrs' Square, its pre-Qaddafi title. Google Maps quickly affirmed the rebels’ statement by changing the name Green Square to Martyrs' Square on its map of Tripoli.

“Sometimes the world map being redrawn before your very eyes is a metaphor for something intangible—political alliances, shifting attitudes, societal norms, etc.,” wrote Vanessa Silverton-Peel on the Maddow Blog. “But this time, it's the actual map that's changing. Fast.”